'He was just there': Man 'upset' after arguing with mom intentionally ran down seated stranger, police say

A 36-year-old antheral successful Florida has been arrested aft helium allegedly ran over a random 74-year-old antheral — who was seated successful a seat on the roadworthy — due to the fact that helium was upset implicit an statement helium had conscionable had with his mother.

Quaze Lavarn Simmons was taken into custody implicit the play and charged with 1 number of attempted murder implicit the ordeal.

According to a news release from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, deputies astatine astir 10:42 a.m. connected Sunday responded to a 911 telephone astir a antheral "seated successful a chair" who had conscionable been struck by a conveyance adjacent the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Josephine Street successful South Brooksville, which is astir 45 miles northbound of Tampa.

The caller said that aft hitting the antheral successful the chair, the operator of the conveyance fled the scene, moving into the adjacent woods.

Upon arriving astatine the scene, archetypal responders said they located the suspect's vehicle, a golden Toyota Corolla LE, inactive astatine the scene. The car was unoccupied and parked connected the sidewalk of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The victim, identified lone arsenic a 74-year-old antheral from Brooksville, suffered "severe injuries to some legs" arsenic good arsenic important caput trauma. Due to the severity of his condition, helium was airlifted to a trauma infirmary for exigency treatment.

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Investigators soon learned the individuality of the vehicle's proprietor and contacted her. The proprietor told authorities that she owned the car, but said her lad — whom she identified arsenic Simmons — besides drove the conveyance regularly.

After identifying Simmons arsenic the suspected driver, deputies conducted a hunt of the contiguous area. However, a abbreviated portion later, authorities said Simmons "emerged from the woods" conscionable southbound of the crash.

"Simmons appeared wet, covered successful ungraded and debris, and was detained without incident," the merchandise states. "During the detention, Simmons spontaneously stated helium was 'scared.'"

In an interrogation with investigators, Simmons gave conflicting stories astir the origin of the collision.

"Simmons initially told detectives helium mislaid power of the conveyance and ran successful fearfulness of his mother's absorption to the crash," the sheriff's bureau said. "However, video surveillance obtained successful the country revealed Simmons accelerated crossed postulation lanes straight toward the victim. At nary clip were the vehicle's brake lights observed, nor was determination immoderate grounds of the operator losing control."

When confronted with the contradictory video evidence, Simmons allegedly admitted that his moving down of the unfortunate was "intentional."

"He told detectives helium had been upset aft an statement with his parent implicit wealth and chose to onslaught the unfortunate due to the fact that helium was 'just there.'"

Simmons was placed nether apprehension and transported to the Hernando County Detention Center, wherever helium is presently being held successful lieu of $250,000 bond, records show.